Category Archives: Vietnamese

The unique flavor and pungent aroma of a beef pho is something you would not forget after you tried it. The star of the show is the broth, which does take some time because bringing out the flavor from the beef bones takes time. However, active preparation time is actually not that much. Once the broth is on the stove and simmering, you just need to check up on it periodically!

Ingredients: (Serves 3-4)

2 large onion (1 split in half, 1 sliced thinly)

1 large hand ginger (about 6 inches long), split in half lengthwise

1.5 pounds beef shank, with meat attached

2.5 pounds beef leg bone, cut into 1/2 to 1-inch thick slices

1/4 pound flank steak, sliced

3 whole star anise pods

1 cinnamon stick

1 teaspoon fennel seeds

4 cloves

1/4 cup fish sauce, plus more to taste

1.5 tablespoons sugar (preferably yellow rock sugar)

Garnish:

10 sprigs of basil

1/4 lbs bean sprouts

2 stalks of green onions, chopped

1/3 cup of chopped cilantro

1/2 lime or lemon, cut into thin wedges

bean sprouts, cilantro, basil, lemon, Sriracha and Hoisin Sauce

Directions:

Place a wire cooling rack or grill grate directly over the flame of a gas burner set on high. Place onions and ginger on top and cook, turning occasionally, until deeply blackened on all sides, about 10 minutes total. Peel and discard the blackened skins of the ginger and onions.

Add beef shank and leg bone,in a large stockpot. Cover with cool water. Bring to a boil over high heat. Boil for 10 minutes, then dump water and meat into sink. When cool enough to handle, rinse parts under cool running tap water and return them to the pot. Cover with cool water.

Add charred onions, ginger, star anise, cinnamon, fennel seeds, cloves, fish sauce, sugar, and 1 tablespoon salt. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce to a bare simmer, and cook for at least 3 hours, up to 6 hours.

Pick out the meat from the beef shin, which should have fallen off of the bone at this point. When cool enough to handle, roughly chop up the meat.

Carefully skim fat off of surface of broth and discard. Season broth to taste with additional fish sauce, salt, and/or sugar. It should be highly seasoned.

It is often said that smell can have a significant impact on how food actually tastes. Lemongrass chicken, a popular Vietnamese dish, fully illustrates this concept. The fragrance of the lemongrass is similar to that of fresh lemon, hence the name. Lemongrass itself can be eaten directly, but the flavor is very light and so it is more commonly used in combination with other ingredients. In this recipe, we are mainly taking advantage the fragrance of lemongrass by using it as a marinate for chicken. The lemongrass fragrance in the kitchen was just as delightful as eating the chicken!